Morning-Noon-and-Night - By Sidney Sheldon Page 0,8

isn't fair to punish him because -", mister, I don't give a damn about the bat. Your son is out!' Billy's father sighed unhappily.

"You're sure you won't change your -mind?' 34 ' chance.' As Cotton reached for the door handle of his car, Billy's father swung the bat against the rear window, gmashing it. Cotton stared at him in shock.

"What ... what the bell are you doine.' e ' up,' Papa explained.

He raised the bat swung it again, smashing it against Cotton's pjohn Cotton screamed and fell to the ground, writh- in pain. ''re crazy!" he yelled. '!' s father knelt beside him and said softly, ' more sound, and I'll break your other kneecap.' -Cotton stared up at him in agony, terrified. ' my son isn't in the game next Saturday, I'll kill you and I'll kill your son. Do I make myself cleart Cotton looked into the man's eyes and nodded, , to keep from screaming with -pain.

"Good. Oh, and I wouldn't want this to get out. [email protected] got friends.' He looked at his watch. He had just enough time to catch the next flight to Boston. His hand @6egan to itch again. At seven o'clock Sunday morning, dressed in a vested sint and carrying an expensive leather briefcase, he walked past Vendome, through Copley Square, and on to Stuart Street. A half block past the Park Plaza Castle, he entered the Boston Trust Building and approached the guard. With dozens of tenants in the 35 huge building, them would be no way the guard at the rcception desk could identify him. Good morning,' the man said. ' morning, sir. May I help yout He sighed. ' God can't help me. They think I have nothing to do but spend my Sundays doing the work that someone else should have done.' The guard said, sympathetically, ' know the feeling.' He pushed a log book forward. ' you sign in, pleaset He signed in and walked over to the bank of elevators. The office he was looking for was on the fifth floor. He took the elevator to the sixth floor, walked down a flight, and moved down the corridor. The legend on the door read, RENQuist, RENQuis-r & Fffz- GMALD, ATMRNEYS AT LAw. He looked around to make certain the corridor was deserted, then opened his briefcase and took out a small pick and a tension tool. It took him five seconds to open the locked door. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

The reception room was furnished in old-fashioned, conservative taste, as befitted one of Boston's top law firms. The man stood there a moment, orienting himself, then moved toward the back, to a filing room where records were kept. Inside the room was a bank of steel cabinets with alphabetical labels on the front. He tried the cabinet marked R-S. It was locked. From his briefcase, he removed a blank key, a file, and a pair of pliers. He pushed the blank key inside 36 sma cabinet lock, gently turning it from side to side. After a moment, he withdrew it and examined @':jbe black markings on it. Holding the key with the pliers, he carefully filed off the black spots. put the key into the lock again, and repeated the ure. He was humming quietly to himself as he the lock, and he smiled as he suddenly realized he was humming: ' Away.

Places'. I'll take ",;fty family on vacation, he thought happily. A real I'll bet the kidy w6uld love Hawaii. ' cabinet drawer came open, and he pulled it toward him. It took only a moment to find the folder he wanted. He removed a small, Pentax camera from @;,his briefcase and went to work. Ten minutes later he was finished. He took several pieces of Kleenex from the briefcase, walked over to the water cooler, and wet them. He returned to the filing room and wiped up the steel shavings on the floor. He locked the file cabinet, made his way out to the corridor, locked. the front door to the offices, and left the building.
Chapter Five
At sea, later that evening, Captain Vacarro came to Harry Stanford's stateroom. ' Stanford .. '?' The captain pointed to the electronic map on the wall. ''m afraid the winds are getting worse. The libecdo is centered in the Strait of Bonifacio. I would suggest that we take shelter in a harbor until -' Stanford cut him short. ' is a good ship, and you're